House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said
Thursday that she was “saddened” by passage of a law that
effectively repeals an LGBT protections ordinance in Charlotte.

North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory on
Wednesday signed into law House Bill 2, which bars any city, town or
municipality from enacting measures that prohibit discrimination
based on sexual orientation or gender identity. The law also makes
North Carolina the first state in the nation to prohibit students in
public schools from using the bathroom that does not conform to their
gender at birth. Similar attempts in South Dakota and Tennessee
failed this legislative session.

Charlotte's ordinance was scheduled to
take effect on April 1. State lawmakers held a one-day special
session at a cost of $42,000 to pass House Bill 2.

Speaking to reporters in Charlotte,
Pelosi
said: “I was very disappointed to arrive here and learn that
this act of the legislature was signed into law by the governor.
[It's] going against the tide of progress in our country for ending
discrimination.”

Pelosi also reiterated her support for
the Equality Act, a federal bill introduced by Democrats last year
that would prohibit such discrimination in employment and other key
areas.

“We have strong Democratic support –
some Republican support – [and] that's good, but we want that
number to grow,” she said. “And when we address that at the
federal level, then it will end discrimination in the entire
country.”

Pelosi is in Charlotte to fundraise for
Democrats and to participate in a women's economic forum at the
University of North Carolina at Charlotte.